Thayet and her Pink Tissue Dress
by astarael
Summary: Ever wondered what happened when the 5th Rider Group got stuck and Thayet sacrificed her gorgeous dress to help them? Here's my version!
1. The Message

Thayet and the Pink Tissue Dress  
  
NB: This is my first fic, so please bear with me. I'd love suggestions and any input. Please R/R!!! bises!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A sweat-streaked messenger burst through the doors of Fief Runnerspring's main dining hall, panting. The entire assembly at the table hushed. All eyes turned to the grimy runner.  
  
"Your majesty," he panted, bowing to Queen Thayet. "Fifth Rider Group."  
  
Thayet stood and walked to the messenger, worry showing in her dark eyes. "What about them?"  
  
"Those bandits, your majesty. Riders bogged down. Stuck." He was still hunched over, struggling to breathe.  
  
"Goddess," Thayet breathed. Turning to the Earl of Runnerspring, she said, "you'll have to excuse me. My Riders are in a tight spot."  
  
The earl only nodded mutely, surprised by the queen's reaction to the messenger. Before the guests even had time to stand for Thayet's departure, she was out the door on her way to the stables. A hostler rushed up to her, jogging next to her, explaining that the earl's fastest horse was being readied for her. He offered her breeches and a shirt, but she declined. She shook her head as she ran on: no time to change if her riders were in trouble.  
  
As she ran into the stable, a horse was led up to Thayet, all tacked up and bearing her bow and quiver. Swinging herself into the saddle, she grimaced as she heard her pink tissue dress rip. -I should have changed- she thought grimly as she kicked her horse into action. -Oh well, too late now.-  
  
Emerging from the stables at a canter, Thayet swore under her breath. Rain was pouring down in sheets. Within minutes she would be soaked, not to mention the four-hundred-noble dress ruined. Imagining Jon's various possible reprimands, she signaled her guide to get in front of her.  
  
"Let's go!" she called, impatient to find her Riders and aid them. She slowed only momentarily, long enough for her guide to pass her into the lead, then sped up again, pink tissue adorned with pearls streaming out behind her.  



	2. Battle

As I'm new to this, I forgot to put the little disclaimer at the start of Ch 1. So here it is:  
if only if only I owned these characters. I don't. Tamora Pierce does.  
  
So, continuing on....  
  
Thayet wove between trees, a horse-length behind her guide. Mud splattered up her horse's legs and smacked wetly on his belly. Thayet's once-pink dress was splotched and spattered, now an unappealing shade of brown. Her hair was plastered onto her shoulders, the fashionable curls washed out by the heavy rain.  
  
"How much further?" Thayet called to her guide.  
  
"Just here, Majesty. Around this chunk o' granite."  
  
As they rounded the bend, the sounds of arguing prisoners touched Thayet's ears. Her guide motioned for her to stop. Pulling her bow from her saddle, she prayed that it hadn't gotten too wet. She breathed a sigh of releif as she easily pulled the string to her ear. Gently letting it go, she knew that it could have been very bad if it hadn't bent. Too much water in a bow could cause the wood to expand, making the string too tight to fit an arrow. Thayet took the lead, passing her guide, bow in one hand and reins in the other, scouting out her best attacking location. Her Riders were facing her, surrounded by outlaws. Two horses were knee-deep in mud, bogged down and panicking. The rest were just outside the clearing, tied to dripping branches. One Rider was already down, an arrow through her shoulder, and another was still glowing, showing that he had just used his Gift in the Group's defense. Three outlaws were in a bloody heap, just killed. More dead enemies were outside the clearing near the horses. --Soon there'll be more dead, and not just bandits-- Thayet thought, --The Fifth is lucky to have made it this far. But they're my responsibility. I'll get them out of this mess.--  
  
Thinking fast, Thayet dismounted and began to climb the granite slab to her right. She beckoned for her guide and protector to follow her; he came bearing bow and sword. Silently they scrambled up the slick grey granite. Upon reaching the top, Thayet lay on her belly and carefully took an arrow out of the quiver on her back.   
  
One of her Riders spotted her, eyes temporarily lighting up. But then she realized the danger to her Queen if she were to give Thayet's position away, and stifled her emotion. Silently, Thayet drew her bow, the nape of one bandit's neck her target. Next to her, her guide did the same. Together, they let arrows fly. Two outlaws fell. She slid down the granite, out of view of the battle ground and out of shooting range of the enemy's arrows.  
  
"Tortall and the Queen's Riders!" A yell came from around the rock. Thayet waited with bated breath. The swish of arrows being loosed and the angry cries of the outlaws mingled in the wet forest. Having turned their backs on the Riders to see why two of their number had dropped like flies, the outlaws had given Thayet's group clean shots. Confused and angered, the bandits screamed their rage. More and more of them were falling as they tried to reconstitute and form another plan.  
  
Thayet surfaced once again atop her granite, to assess the situation and take down a few more enemies. Watching the mess belowe her, she counted twelve bandits still standing and ten down in the clearing. --No wonder my Riders got stuck. Two to one, with only eleven riders in the Fifth-- she mused, surveying the scene again. After the outlaws had gotten their second wind, their attention was back on the Riders. Thayet let loose another arrow, this time aimed at a tall, lanky man who seemed to be in charge. With his death, the others dispersed, disappearing into the heavy rain in the woods.   
  
Letting her breath go, Thayet slid from her rock, considering her losses. One Rider was down: she bit her lip, forcing herself to think about other things. Several were injured, but only one down was quite a statement about how well her army composed itself in battle. She quickly stepped around the rock, missing a Rider's frantic movements for her to stay still. Without seeing his agitated body language, Thayet stepped out from behind the rock straight into the bowsight of an archer in a tree.  
  
--Oh, crap-- she thought. --I'm screwed.-- More bandits emerged from behind trees, surrounding Thayet, her guide, and the Riders. They were stuck, and no one was coming to help them.  
  
  
  
  
So what do you think? If you like it, I'll write the last chapter. I thought this was going to be the last chapter, but then it wasn't because interesting things happened. :O) So anyway let me know and maybe I'll keep going.  



	3. Rescue

Oooh, I am so proud of myself for writing the ending! Please R&R, and I don't mind flames etc. as this is my first fanfic.  
  
Thayet and her Pink Tissue Dress  
Chapter 3: Rescue  
  
"She WHAT?" the king of Tortall shouted at the ball of deep blue fire in his palm. The voice which responded was fuzzy; it was traveling by way of speaking spell all the way from Fief Runnerspring to the palace.   
  
"Yes, your majesty. She went only with one armed guide, no others. She said there wasn't time to gather forces."  
  
Jonathan of Conte snapped his fingers, vexated and worried. How could Thayet have done something like this? Was she insane? Thinking quickly, the king spoke again into the fire in his hand. This time, he spoke calmly, his deep voice imperious despite its fuzziness on the other end.  
  
"Runnerspring, is it? The Third Rider Group should be nearby. Contact their mage and send them to help her."  
  
"Right away, Majesty. If that's all...?"  
  
"One more thing... did she change clothes? Or is she still in that pink dress with the pearls?"  
  
Runnerspring's mage cringed. "No, your majesty. I mean, yes, she's still in the dress. We tried to persuade her to change, but..."  
  
Jonathan sighed. "Oh, well. I just want her safe. Now go help her or I shall be most displeased."  
  
"I'm on it, your majesty."  
  
* * *  
  
The Third Rider Group's mage called out the message, directing her group towards Thayet and the Fifth. As they neared the scene, the dismounted silently and reorganised. The twenty-five men and women spread out to form a circle around the bandits and their captives. They used stealth to go unnoticed, waiting behind trees for the most opportune moment to rescue their queen.  
  
* * *  
  
Thayet stood very still, vulnerable and very close to death -- the outlaw still had his bow trained on her throat.   
  
"So," he growled. "How much do ye think we'll get for this pretty?"  
  
"Well, ye know 'ow much the king likes 'er and all, so we'll get a bundle, I'm sure," another replied, his eyes and bowsight never moving from a Rider's forehead.  
  
"What do you think, Highness?" he asked Thayet in a mocking tone. When she gave no reply, another bandit prodded her in the neck with a sharp knife, hard enough to draw just a drop of blood.  
  
"Well, you'll get nothing if I'm dead. Should you leave me alive, I'd say--"  
  
She broke off as an arrow caught her captor in the shoulder. He fell, bewilderment in his eyes. The other bandits panicked, seeing their other leader fallen. Emerging from carefully chosen hiding spots, all twenty-five of the Third Rider Group appeared with a bowsight trained on a bandit.  
  
"Right on time," Thayet commented, cool and composed as though she hadn't just been about to be killed. She signalled for the rest of the Fifth to bind the outlaws' hands and feet, then moved to the two fallen Riders. The Third's mage stood beside Thayet, light blue fire eddying around her fingers. She knelt and touched the two, then looked up at Thayet with tears in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Majesty" was all she said as she gently closed their eyes. Thayet nodded, face set and determined. After a long pause, she said, "We will remember them. Considering the enemy, we did well."  
  
Turning from the fallen Riders to address the others, she said, "I thank you, for your loyalty to me and to Tortall, and for your bravery and ability in the face of battle. Now let's go get cleaned up." She smiled at them, assuring them silently that they had done their duty.   
  
Searching out the Third's mage, Thayet asked, "Could I speak with Jon, please?" The mage nodded and brought a light blue ball of fire to rest in her palm. "King Jonathan?" she said. "Your queen," and nodded to Thayet.  
  
"Jon?"  
  
"Thayet? Thank the gods the Third got there in time. It was all I could do. Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm bruised, slightly shaken, but all in one piece. It's good to hear your voice." She bit her lip and added, "Jon? Please don't be angry with me --"  
  
"I'm not angry with you," he interrupted. "I was just worried. You mean so much to me."  
  
"Thank you. You mean the world to me, too. But that's not it, Jon. It's..." She trailed off.  
  
"Yes?" the king prodded.  
  
Swallowing hard, she said, "My dress. It's a goner. I'm so sorry! I know I should have changed but --"  
  
Jonathan cut her off, laughing and assuring her that he was glad she was safe and that he didn't care what had happened to the dress as long as its wearer was still in one piece. With a final chucke, he added, "Just try to change next time."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So whadda ya'll think? Sorry bout the uninspired ending, I was at a loss for what should happen, so I did the obvious. I never like reading stories where the obvious happens. Forgive me! Anyhoo, R&R, flame if you like, give me suggestions, imput, whatever, and thanks for reading!  
  
Bises!  



End file.
